Naoise Ó Muirí (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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2557. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills for an update on the number of new courses, full-time and part-time, that have been added at ATU Mayo campus since 2020, as well as the number of courses, full-time and part-time, that have been discontinued in the same period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19935/25]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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I am informed by ATU that since 2020, 35 new programmes have been validated with nine programmes discontinued at ATU Mayo campus. Of the new programmes, 11 are full-time and 24 are part-time. The discontinued programmes, seven were full-time and two were part-time. A list of these programmes, including details regarding their delivery mode and course name, is broken out in the following table.

The Deputy should note that Technological Universities are autonomous institutions and consequently, the management of their day to day functions, including the introduction of new courses and academic disciplines, and whether they are offered on a part-time basis, are matters for the individual institution to determine in the context of their strategies, governance structures and policies.

It is a priority of my Department to increase access to higher education through flexible and diverse pathways. €2m of support was secured for part-time provision in Budget 2024. This marked the first time that supports were being made available for students studying on part-time courses under the Student Grant Scheme.

This year the number of courses included in the Scheme have nearly doubled, going from 62 in 2024 to 111 in 2025. It is my hope that this new initiative will encourage higher education institutions to offer more courses on a part-time basis, and provide educational opportunities to those for whom full-time education is not a suitable option.

Validations

Removed